Weighted plastic clothespin



Jan. 26, 1960 J. B. LONGHl 2,922,209

. WEIGHTEDYPLASTIC CLOTHESPIN Filed March 14. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w I 28 I? IN VEN TOR. JOHN B. L OA/GH/ Jan. 26, 1960 J. B. LONGHI 2,922,209

' WEIGHTED PLASTIC CLOTHESPIN Filed March 14. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fill/.I/"IIIIII'IY/I 1 IN VEN TOR.

JOHN 8. LONG! ATTORNEY States Patent "ice Patented Jan. 2 1960.

2,922,209 WEIGHTED FLASTIC crornnsrm John s. Longhi, Torrin'gton, Conn. Application March 14, 1957, Serial N0. 646,164 1 Claim. (c1. 24 1s7 This invention relates to clothespins and is directed particularly to a pinch-type clothespin having weighted aws.

Ordinary pinch-type clothespins, being light in weight, are suitable only for securing the top of washed articles to a clothesline for drying. It is common knowledge that wash, especially large or long pieces such as sheets, tablecloths and the like, often are blown around and become entangled with the clothesline from which they are hung to dry by sudden unexpected strong gusts of wind. This not only prevents proper drying, but often results in soiling and damaging the clothes.

It is accordingly the principal object of the invention to provide an improved weighted pinch type clothespin which can be used in the conventional way for hanging clothes on a line, and which can also be attached to the bottom of such clothes to prevent them from flapping, tearing and tattering in high winds, and to facilitate their proper arid rapid drying, airing, sun bleaching, etc.

Another object of the invention is to provide several forms of weighted clothespins of the character described which, when applied in siiffiient numbers along the lower edges of clothes being dried, will minimize shrinkage thereof.

'A'notli'erobjee't 6f tli'iiiveritien is to provide weighted clothespins of the above nature which are simple in construction, easy t o use, inexpensive to manufacture, attractive in appearance, andelfeetive and long-wearing in use.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the appended drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 illustrates a pair of clothespins embodying the first form of the invention, as they appear in use on the top and bottom of a laundered article hung on a clothesline for drying,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a clothespin of the first form, shown by itself,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the insert weights constituting part of the clothespin shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the first form of clothespin, taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the same, taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a second form of weighted clothespin embodying the invention,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the insert weights constituting part of the clothespin shown in Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the clothespin shown in Fig. 6, taken along the line 88,

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a third form of clothespin embodying the invention, employing solid metal jaws,

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line' 1010 of Fig. 9, looking in the direction of the arrows,

'Fig. 11 is an end view of the W-shaped spring constituting part of the clothespin shown in Fig. 9,

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a fourth form of weighted clothespin embodying the invention,

Fig. 13 is a transverse cross-sectional view, taken along line 13-43 of Fig. 12 looking in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of one of the insert weights constituting part of the clothespin shown in Fig. 12, and

Fig. 15 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the clothespin shown in Fig. 12, taken along the line 15--15 thereof.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and considering first the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 2 through 5, it will be seen that the improved clothes pin, designated generally by the reference numeral 10, is comprised of a pair of elongated hollow body members 11 resiliently held in face-to-face relation by a wire spring member 12. Each of the body members 11 is of shell-like construction, preferably being molded from a synthetic plastic material, and is formed at one end with a jaw 13 in the underside of which are provided a pair of transverse concavities 14 and 15. The other end of each body member 11 diverges outwardly to provide a finger grip portion 16.

The central portions of each of the body members 11 are formed with transverse concavities 17 facing each other to provide arcuate openings within which is disposed a helical portion 18 of the spring 12.

Provision is also made of a. pair of elongated solid weight members'19 of lead or other suitable heavy ma terial and shaped to fit within corresponding recesses 20 formed in the body members 11 The outer surfaces of the weight members 19 and the jaw portions '13 of'the body members 11 are provided with transverse grooves 21, in which are seated opposed ends 22 of arms 22a extending from each end of the helical spring portion 18 of the spring 12. The spring 12 is torsionally stressed so as to press the jaws 13 of the body members 11 into abutting face-to-face relationship. Thus, upon manually squeezing the finger grip portions 16, the body members 11 will fulcrum about the,

central "spring helix 18 to open the jaws 13 against the clo-singa'ction of the spring 12. It is to be noted that thesp'ring ends 22, besides holding the body members 11 in as'sembled relation, also serve to secure the weight members 19 in their resjective recesses 20.

If desired, the weight member may be cast in two separate pieces and connected by an inverted W-shaped strip having a cross groove which receives the end 22 of the spring 12.

Second form The second form of the invention (illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 and designated in general by the numeral 23), comprises a pair of body members 24, similar in shape to the body members 11 in the first form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, but each having a single transverse concave end groove 25, central complementary concave grooves 26, and rear complementary arcuate grooves 27 for receiving a transverse U- shaped strip spring 28. The grooves 26 and 27 decrease in size toward the sides of the body members 24, and a weight member 29 of complemental shape (See Fig. 7) is fitted in the recesses 30 formed in each of the body members 24.

Each of the body members 24 is also formed with a longitudinal rectangular recess 31 extending between the central portions of the transverse grooves 26 and 27. The curved U-shaped strip metal spring 28 has a rear body portion 32 seated in the opening defined by the grooves 27 in the body members 24; side neck portions 33 seated in the longitudinal recesses 31, and outwardly curved end portions 34 extending outwardly against the rear walls of the respective transverse grooves 26.

A flat retainer strip 35 is secured around each body member 24 with its underside extending through the corresponding central transverse grooves 26 in such a manner as to retain the Weight members 29 in position.

It will be understood that instead of using the retainer strip 35, the weight members 29 may be cast with clip springs extending from their undersides through openings formed in the ends of the U-shaped spring 27, within the scope of the present invention.

Third form The third form of the invention, illustrated in Figs. 9, 10, and 11, and designated in general by the numeral 36, differs from the first two forms in that the body members 37 are integrally formed entirely of a solid heavy material such as, non-rusting iron or steel, and are held in operating relation by a W-shaped flat metal spring 38 located at the rear of the clothespin. The body members 37 are formed with complementary transverse arcuate grooves 39 within which the arcuate central portion 40 of the spring 38 is disposed. The V-shaped end portions 41 of the spring 38 closely embrace the rear finger gripping ends of the corresponding body members '37, and terminate in reduced width inwardly-directed ends 42 fitting into slots 42a provided in the opposed outer sur faces of said body members 37. The W-shaped spring 38 is so formed that its V-shaped end portions 41 are resiliently retained in locking engagement with respect to the body members 37 by having their ends 42 locked in the slots 42a, and the forward jaw ends of said body members are resiliently pressed together about the central portion 40 of said spring as a fulcrum.

Fourth form The fourth form of the invention (illustrated in Figs. 12 through and designated generally by the numeral 43, differs from the form shown in Figs. 9-11, only in that instead of having the body members 44 integrally formed of a solid heavy material, said body members each consists of a hollow shell 45, of synthetic plastic material as in the first two forms. The shells 45 are open at their rear ends to allow longitudinal insertion of an interior solid weight member 46, such as lead (Fig. 14). In this form of the invention, the W-shaped fiat metal spring 38, not only serves to hold the clothespin sections in assembled pivotal relation as described above, but also covers and retains in place the interior weight members 46.

Fig. 1 illustrates how a pair of the weighted pinch type clothespins herein described can be used both to retain an article of laundry W on a clothesline L, by clipping one of said clothespins 10 to the line at the top, and attaching another weighted clothespin 10 at the bottotm for efiicient, safe, drying and for prevening shrinkage.

While there have been disclosed in this specification four forms in which the invention may be embodied in practice, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures, but may be modified and embodied in various other equivalent forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is: I

In a weighted pinch-type clothespin, a pair of complemental elongated body members each having a front jaw and a rear outwardly inclined finger grip, each body member being constructed of a light weight non-metallic portion, having a longitudinally extending recess, and a heavy detachable metallic member embedded within said recess to add weight to said clothespin, spring means for resiliently pressing said jaws together toward closed position, said spring means having a common fulcrum at the base of said finger grips, about which said body members may be rocked for opening said jaws manually, said spring means comprising a helical wire torsion spring, the helical portion of which forms said common fulcrum, and the ends of said wire embrace said jaws and said embedded heavy metallic members to retain them within said body members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,335,331 Gunderson Mar. 30, 1920 1,413,035 Koup Apr. 18, 1922 1,435,674 Varga Nov. 14, 1922 2,782,480 Tweedle Feb. 26, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 127,768 Australia May 14, 1948 148,647 Sweden Feb. 1, 1955 448,979 Italy May 30, 1949 496,093 Belgium June 30, 1950 1,102,138 France May 4, 1955 

